The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-12-24
\ Day With C[uikslalk.
BY MARY D. WELCOME.

1t was not a day ln London we spent with this gifted satirical genius of the burin, but in an easy chair before our own hearthstone, while the hours sped all too swiftly as we held converse, and merrily laughed over scores of his grotesque drawings. Even his own lesque of his graver, but in humorous play he has appended it AS his sigma ture to a note to triend-a fac simile of which is before us-representing himself in very crooked, bony man. ner. Had we not also the artists DOT trait without the burlesque we would with reason complain. But as we see him robed in his dressing gown, sit ting before an open fire, pct pug on his knee and cupid astride his foot, with toasting- fork in hand, on which he is roasting heart, the picture is pleasing one. Another portrait is from the drawing by Maclise, origin ally published in Frase,'s Magazine; an etching representing the artist seated on big cask in grocery store, his tall hat on his knee on which he rests the paper he is using for sketches of people, atterward to be engraved.
 We might devote pages to descrip- tions of the humorous engravings, drawn not for the mere fun of the thing, but like Hogarth's to point a moral. Here is one from "Angelo's Picnic" The dishes on the ample board are not filled with dainty vi- ands, but with grotesque personages, and each platter has it's appropriate label. Before the master of the feast is one labeled George Colman; in the center one bears the name of Theodore Hook. Horace Smith, Angelo, Peake and Bulwer are represented on other dishes.
 There are two sketches, the one en- titled "Born Genius," the other "Born Dwarf" The first represents poor artist sitting with his face bur- jed in his hands before an easel-the empty plate on the table and we'll worn boots upon the floor, indicate his poverty. The other represents Tom Thumb reclining on a sofa in & luxurious apartment, toying with a trinket. Beside him are his jewell case and full money bags. Foie-gras and champagne are on table near by.
 With deeper interest we take from the shelf "Oliver Twist" and turn to the picture of Je,o Fagin in the prison cell, after learning the history of it's conception. True, there is some dis crepancy in the two versions, as we will show. Horace Mayhew is au- thority for this one. He says that Cruikshank told him how he hit upon the figure of Fo9ta in the condemned cell. He had thought over various designs, but none were satisfactory. At length, beginning to think the task was almost hopeless, he was sitting up in bed one morning, with his hand covering his chin and biting his nails with desperation, his whole attitude expressive of disappointment and de- spair, when he saw his face in a chevel- glass which stood on the floor oppo- site to him. "That's it," he involun- tarily exclaimed, "that's just the ex- pression want 1" and by this acci- dental process the picture was formed in his mind. Mr. Austin Dobson, however, spells this version of it's points by relating personal inter- view with the artist, during which he asked him if this story of the conoep- tion of Fdgtn's wonderful attitude in the cell was correct. He replied with emphasis, "False!" He stated that he had never been perplexed in the mat ter. He attributed the story to the fact that he had made studies of his own hand in the glass to enable him to decide whether the knucklet should be raised or depressed, much to the astonishment of a child relative looking on, who could not conceive what he was doing.
 MT. Blanchard Jerrold, to whom we are indebted for the pleasant hour with Cruikshank, accepts both yer